Step Up to Third Grade program kicks off across district

Step Up to Third Grade program kicks off across district

Posted on 06/23/2016

Rising third graders start summer school this week. The five-week sessions are held at every elementary school in the district, running Mondays through Thursdays from June 20 – June 30 and August 1 – 18, from 9 a.m. until noon. Breakfast and lunch are offered at every site.

The free Step Up to Third Grade summer program is designed to keep students’ skills strong over the summer. The sessions emphasize using technology with reading, writing and math.

“Third grade is an academic turning point,” said Kyra Donovan, director of Elementary Education. “In third grade, students transition from learning to read to reading to learn. Giving students an extra boost during summer vacation helps students come back in the fall with stronger skills.”

This is the third year of the program and, according to Donovan, the fall assessments for participating students show that the strategy works.

“The data is clear that reading over the summer makes a difference,” said Donovan. “A simple thing like participating in the library’s summer reading program is really powerful.”

According to the National Summer Learning Association, all young people experience learning losses when they do not engage in educational activities during the summer, and most students lose about two months of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation skills over the summer months.